1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to electronic devices and, more particularly, to a universal premise controller for controlling appliances via a global network connection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote control of appliances, such as audio/visual equipment and garage doors, has become commonplace. Typically, each piece of equipment is supplied with its own remote control. Some remote controls are designed to work with other devices as well; for example, a stereo receiver remote control will sometimes come with a large number of codes that allow the user to program the remote to operate other devices, such as the television and an audio recording device. Seldom, however, does a remote control for one device satisfactorily control another device, without a large learning curve.
An alternative is the “universal” remote control. These remotes generally are of two types. The first type, a non-learning remote, is programmed with the remote codes for a large number of devices by a large number of manufacturers. The user selects the codes for the manufacturer of each device. The second type, a learning remote, includes the functionality of the non-learning remote, and additionally allows a user to program specific keys of the using the original manufacturer's remote.
More recently, programmable remotes have become available. Programmable remotes allow a user to program certain features of a remote using a computer. A user could, in some instances, program any key to output any remote code. Some expensive remotes include a graphical display where a user may provide graphics to be associated with a function; these graphics can be generated by the user or selected from existing graphic icons. A programmable remote give the users more control over the functionality of the remote; however, programmable remotes require a large investment of time.
In the future, more appliances will be controlled remotely. Cooking devices, washing machines, security systems, and so on will all have the ability to be controlled remotely, either through a local wireless signal or through a direct or wireless connection to a global network, such as the Internet. As the number of controllable devices increases, the frustration with having multiple remotes, with multiple remote user interfaces, will similarly increase.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a universal premise controller that can efficiently control multiple devices through a single interface.